Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag slammed his "unprofessional" players following the historic 7-0 defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday.
United entered the match in excellent form, winning eight of their previous nine Premier League matches while also eliminating Barcelona from the Europa League and winning the League Cup last weekend. It ignited talk of a late title challenge, but after the shambles at Anfield and the manner of the capitulation, Ten Hag will hope it does not derail the overall progress made under his leadership.
After an even first half, which United perhaps even shaded, goals either side of the interval from Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez saw Liverpool take control and United completely collapse. Gakpo and Nunez helped themselves to another goal each, while Mohamed Salah also scored a brace to become Liverpool's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer.
Substitute Roberto Firmino, whom Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed will leave the club at the end of the season, then added the seventh to complete the rout late on.
"You can lose a game but not in the way we lose in the second half," Ten Hag said. "In the first half, we played very decent. We created the better chances and then made an organisational mistake.
"The second half was unprofessional. It can’t happen and we have to talk about it. I do think we played decent in the first half but the second half was not us. Not our standards. We didn't play as a team."
Asked if he was angry, Ten Hag replied: "Yes, definitely, and surprised. I have seen, the last weeks and months, a team that is really in a winning attitude. In the second half, we did not have a winning attitude at all."
Liverpool v Man United player ratings
Ten Hag refused to blame tiredness or fatigue for United's shocking second-half display and insisted it was all about the mentality of his players.
"No, nothing to do with that because we can bring the performance four days ago, seven days ago. It's nothing to do with that. It's just about the head," he said. "We know Liverpool are a good transition team. When you are 1-0 down, you can't lose your head and bring them into the transition moments.
"We did not make the right decisions in the defensive actions. That is unprofessional. We have high standards and that's not what we showed today in the second half."
United remain third in the Premier League table but 14 points behind leaders Arsenal, though they have a game in hand on the Gunners and second-placed Manchester City, who they trail by nine points.
Despite the Liverpool setback and his clear anger at his team's performance, Ten Hag was keen to press that it was only one result and believes his players will respond to the disappointment.
"I said in the dressing room it's not acceptable, their performance, it's clear. But it's only one game, though a big defeat, unacceptable, and especially for our fans, especially against Liverpool," he said.
"We will bounce back. This team is strong enough to go, reset itself, and we will bounce back. I know my players, they are good characters, and they can bounce back and they will do."
